Get to know the poets whose poems your students enjoy. Display images of the poets along with quotes or advice they have for writers. As your student writers begin to publish their own poems, add their poetry to the bulletin board.
Hooray, it's poetry time again! And thank goodness. At this time in the school year we all need a good pick-me-up, and with National Poetry Month approaching, nothing does the trick like a good poetry genre study. Poetry is a great way to energize your writing workshop and lift the spirits and confidence of your student writers. When can you fit poetry into your day? The best way to begin is to read poetry every chance you get. Read a couple of poems before morning meeting, while you are lining up, during transition times, or right before dismissal. Anytime you have a minute or need to get students' attention, have a poem handy. The poems you read aloud will have a tremendous impact on the poems your students write. Here is a list of things to consider when looking for poems.
The United States Poet Laureate is appointed by the Librarian of Congress and is entrusted with raising the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. Kay Ryan is our current Poet Laureate, and she needs your help in accomplishing this task. You can give her a hand by becoming the Poet Laureate of your school community. As administrators, you have access to your entire school community and can greatly impact the community consciousness.
No matter the grade level, poetry offers limitless potential to raise writers' confidence and teach important writing skills. Check out the lessons below from Schoolwide's Writing Fundamentals Poetry Units of Study and see how you can raise the level of your students' writing. Attention to Detail: Attention to detail is important in all genres of writing. The nature of poetry makes it an ideal genre to focus on this skill. Click here to view sample lessons. Literary Language: Literary language helps make writing come to life. Looking at how poets use literary language and learning to apply this knowledge will greatly improve student writing. Click here to view sample lessons. Punctuation and Capitalization: Although punctuation and capitalization are often overlooked during poetry units of study, the genre lends itself to teaching some basic points of usage. Click here to view sample lessons. Purchase Fundamentals Click here to purchase Writing & Testing Fundamentals Units of Study.
